Telegeusinae (common name long-lipped beetles) is a small subfamily of beetles in the family

Omethidae Omethidae is a family of Elateroidea sometimes known as the false soldier beetles. They are native to South, Southeast and Eastern Asia and the Americas. Their biology is obscure and their larvae are unknown. They appear to inhabit vegetation in ...

recognizable by enlarged palpi found in males. Though relatively rare, males are sometimes found in large numbers in black light traps. Females are not known in this group, but it is theorized that females are

larviform Larviform female is a biological phenomenon occurring in some insect species, where the females in the adult stage of metamorphosis resemble the larvae to various degrees, while the male appears more morphologically adult (as imagoes). The resemblan ...

as found in many closely related taxa.

Description

The most recognizable features of Telegeusinae are the extremely long labial and maxillary palpi with enlarged terminal segments. All species are small, 3.5 to 8 mm in length. The body of these beetles is flattened dorsally, the elytra are short, the antennae are filiform with 11 segments, and the tarsi are 5 segmented.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Telegeusis'' was first described in 1895 by Horn, and later placed within Drilidae by Leng in 1910. In 1920, ''Telegeusis'' was made its own family, Telegeusidae. This placement of ''Telegeusis'' was controversial at the time with some authors suggesting placement within

Lymexylidae The Lymexylidae (historically often spelled Lymexylonidae), also known as ship-timber beetles, are a family of wood-boring beetles. Lymexylidae belong to the suborder Polyphaga and are the sole member of the superfamily Lymexyloidea. Habitat a ...

due to morphological similarities with '' Atractocerus,'' and others placing it into

Cantharidae The soldier beetles (Cantharidae) are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One of the first described species has a color pattern reminiscent of the red coats of early British soldiers, hence the ...

. In 2007 molecular data supported treating the group as a subset of

, but a 2015 study based on morphological data placed Telegeusisidae as the sister group of

Phengodidae The beetle family Phengodidae is known also as glowworm beetles, whose larvae are known as glowworms. The females and larvae have bioluminescent organs. They occur throughout the New World from extreme southern Canada to Chile. The recently re ...

. The taxonomic placement of this group remains unclear.

Genera

*''Platydrilus'' López-Pérez & Zaragoza-Caballero, 2021 (1 species) (a

junior homonym In biology, a homonym is a name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another such name, that belongs to a different taxon. The rule in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is that the first such name to be published is the se ...

of ''Platydrilus'' Michaelsen, 1891) *'' Pseudokarumia'' Pic, 1931 (1 species) *'' Pseudotelegeusis'' Wittmer, 1976 (4 species) *'' Stenodrilus'' López-Pérez & Zaragoza-Caballero, 2021 (1 species) *''

Telegeusis ''Telegeusis'' is a genus of beetles in the family Omethidae Omethidae is a family of Elateroidea sometimes known as the false soldier beetles. They are native to South, Southeast and Eastern Asia and the Americas. Their biology is obscure and ...

'' Horn, 1895 (16 species)

Life history

Little is known about the life history of Telegeusinae. Males have been collected from March to July with most specimens collected in passive flight traps. These collections are concentrated to two hours before sunset, which is theorized to be the time period that females are receptive to mating. Many species have orange and black

aposematic coloration Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste o ...

, but it is unknown if they are toxic. There is one possible observation of a male associating with a milkweed plant.

Habitat and range

Species are found from the Southwestern United States through Peru. They are found in a variety of ecosystems including prairies, deserts, and tropical rainforest. The highest diversity is found in Mexico.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q109984856 Elateroidea Wikipedia Student Program Beetle subfamilies